Co2 actuated cartridge magazine



Sept. 14, 1965 R. D. PLUMER CO2, ACTUATED CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE Filed Dec. 4, 1962 INVENTOR Ray D. Plume! BY M9 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,205,604 C0 ACTUATED CARTRlilDGE MAGAZHNE Roy B. Plumer, Santa Barbara, Calif assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 4, 1962, Scr. No. 242,181

r 4 Claims. (Cl. 4250) This invention relates generally to cartridge magazines for firearms and more particularly to magazines of the type commonly referred to as box type wherein the cartridges are arranged side by side.

Presently these magazines are self-contained units which may be easily inserted into firearms by the user. When the magazine is expended, it can be removed and replaced by another pre-loaded unit. However, the present magazines utilize springs which pose a serious limitation to the functional reliability of the magazine, that is, the tendency of the magazine spring to lose its resiliency when stored over long periods of time. This tendency for the spring to weaken and set occurs when they are stored for terms on the order of five years. The result is that there is insufficient force to cause correct feeding of the cartridges into the gun mechanism.

In consideration of the aforementioned limitation to present designs, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a cartridge magazine capable of being stored for long periods of time without losing any of its functional characteristics.

A further object is to provide a magazine which is compatible with present firearms and adaptable to future designs Another object is to provide a magazine which can be re-loaded and therefore capable of multiple usage.

Still another object is to provide a cartridge magazine which is lightweight and simple to operate.

These and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing of which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of a box type cartridge magazine which incorporates the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section of the actuating means of the invention shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a box type cartridge magazine having a rectangular casing generally indicated at 1, including side walls 2 and 3 and an end plate 4. Also included are conventional tabs 5 located at the upper end of the casing and through which the cartridges 6 are fed. It is noted that the casing may be made of any suitable material, such as metal, but is preferably formed of plastic in order to minimize the weight of the assembly and provide an inexpensive and disposable unit.

Located within the casing is a cartridge follower 7 of any suitable material which acts against the lowest cartridge. Although FIGURE 1 shows a magazine receiving a single row of cartridges, it should be readily apparent that the type utilizing two staggered rows of cartridges may be substituted.

Attached and sealed to the underside of the follower is an enclosed bellows or accordion folded member 8 of suitable resilient material. The method of attaching is by cementing or bonding the periphery of the lip 9 to the follower.

Other suitable methods of attaching which produce a hermetic seal between the follower 7 and the bellows member 8 may be used,

Similarly, the periphery of the lower lip 10 is sealed to the end plate by cementing, bonding or other methods. The arrangement is such that the follower 7, bellows 8,

3,205,604 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 and end plate 4 form a fluid-tight expansible chamber 11 into which compressed gas is released.

The bellows member may also be formed with an upper wall thereby obviating the need for sealing the bellows to the follower. If this form of construction is used, the upper wall bears directly on the follower and it is only necessary to seal the lower lip 10 so that the bellows 8 and the end plate 4 form the chamber 11.

A compressed gas container or cartridge 12 is located within the expansible chamber 11 and suitably retained by a stop 13. The neck of the container has a rupturable disc fitted within the end. The compressed gas is released when the disc is ruptured, as will be hereafter explained. The gas used in the container is carbon dioxide, but one might also utilize other gases which have more advantageous characteristics, e.g., some of the Freon gases. In addition, the shape of the container and the method of releasing the compressed gas may take other forms than that shown. For example, a valve might be substituted for the rupturable disc,

The method of releasing the compressed gas or firing the container 12 will now be discussed. Associated with the neck of the container and in line with the rupturable disc is a firing pin assembly including a piercing point or firing pin 14- and a cup shaped guide member 15. The guide member surrounds the neck of the container and moves relative to its so that the firing pin can contact and puncture or rupture the disc. As described, the pin 14 and guide member 15 are separate pieces, but they may also be formed of one piece without deviating from the scope of this invention. The side wall 2 has extending therethrough a push rod 15 having one end abutting the flexible bellows 8. Due to the flexibility of the bellows, the push rod may be advanced inwardly, thereby advancing the firing pin assembly into firing relationship with the compressed gas container. This movement is initiated by a semi-elliptical leaf spring 17 secured along the side wall of the magazine and having one face abutting the opposite end of the push rod. It is noted that the push rod and firing pin assembly could be made integral but this would necessitate sealing the bellows about the push rod.

Another advantage of this invention is that the magazine may be used more than once. Since the bellows member 8 will retain the compressed gas even after the cartridges are expended the gas may be recompressed by forcing the follower 7 downwardly. This is accomplished when new cartridges are loaded into the magazine thereby forcing the follower down and compressing the gas for a new operation cycle. The number of times the clip could be reused would depend upon the integrity of the bellows and the seal where the bellows is attached to the magazine Operation The magazine shown in FIGURE 1 is in the loaded and stored condition. The compressed gas container is charged and the chamber is not pressurized.

When the user inserts the magazine into a firearm, the leaf spring 17 is flattened thereby moving the push rod 16 inwardly. Since the firing pin 14 and guide member 15 are in alignment with the push rod, the compressed gas container will be fired as the push rod acts on the firing mechanism through the flexible bellows. The resultant release of compressed gas will pressurize the chamber 11, thereby biasing the cartridge follower 7 and cartridges 6 upwardly toward the feed out position. As the cartridges are ejected the bellows 8 expands so that a continuing force is exerted on the remaining cartridges to assure that they are correctly aligned and advanced,

What I claim is:

1. A cartridge magazine for insertion in a firearm and adapted to dispense cartridges into said firearm comprising a case for holding said cartridges in aligned relationship, a follower movable within said case for engaging and advancing said cartridges, a container of compressed gas disposed on the opposite side of said follower from said cartridges, a resilient expansible means disposed about said container thereby defining a gas receiving chamber, and means associated with said container and adapted to release the 'gas therefrom, whereby said follower is biased to advance said cartridges to be dispensed.

2. The claim as defined in claim 1 wherein said means punctures said container of compressed gas.

3. In a cartridge magazine for firearms of the type insertable in said firearms, said magazine including a case for storing cartridges, a follower for engaging said car tridges and means for advancing said follower; the improvement comprising an expansible member attached to said follower and said case to define a gas receiving chamher, a compressed gas container having a rupturable portion within said chamber, puncturing means adjacent said rupturable portion and within said chamber, means for actuating said puncturing means received within a wall of said magazine, and a spring member attached to the eX- terior of said magazine wall and adapted to engage said actuating means, whereby said compressed gas container is ruptured when the magazine is inserted into a firearm so that the released gas pressure maintains said follower in engagement with the cartridges.

4. A magazine for a firearm of the type insertable in said firearm, said magazine comprising a case for storing cartridges having a base member and side walls, a follow er for engaging said cartridges, an enclosed bellows member disposed between said follower and said base member to define a gas tight chamber, a compressed gas container disposed within said chamber and having a rupturable portion, means for retaining said container in a specific position on said base member, a puncturing pin adapted to engage said rupturable portion of said container, guide means positioning said pin in alignment with the rupturable portion of said gas container, a push rod located within said magazine wall and adapted to act directly on the exterior of said bellows member so as to actuate said puncturing pin, and a leaf spring mounted to the exterior of said magazine wall and having an end portion thereof in engagement with said push rod to effect rupturing and firing of said compressed gas container when said magazine is inserted into a firearm,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 210,976 12/78 Storm 124-51 3,084,833 4/63 Kline et al 124-51 FOREIGN PATENTS 875,222 8/61 Great Britain BENJAMIN A, BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE FOR INSERTION IN A FIREARM AND ADAPTED TO DISPENSE CARTRIDGES INTO SAID FIRARM COMPRISING A CASE FOR HOLDING SAID CARTRIDGES IN ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP, A FOLLOWER MOVABLE WITHIN SAID CASE FOR ENGAGING AND ADVANCING SAID CARTRIDGES, A CONTAINER OF COMPRESSED GAS DISPOSED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FOLLOWER FROM SAID CARTRIDGES, A RESILIENT EXPANSIBLE MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT SAID CONTAINER THEREBY DEFINING A GAS RECEIVING CHAMBER, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONTAINER AND ADAPTED TO RELEASE THE GAS THEREFROM, WHEREBY SAID FOLLOWER IS BIASED TO ADVANCE SAID CARTRIDGES TO BE DISPENSED. 